Morris Minor Owners Club

Hi there

Im having troubles to keep up the engine temperature here at winter. The heater on the late Minor is simply to big ! I have removed the fan blades, and it helped me a bit - but not enough. The mixture on the carb is perfect, and I have an 88 degree thermostat fitted. So is there anyone who knows where to get a "grillecover" ? In the old days you could buy a sort of "button on piece" of cloth/coat that fitted the grille. It helped to get a warmer engine in winter time.
Any suggestions ?

cheers and merry christmas
Carsten from Denmark

So is there anyone who knows where to get a "grillecover"

Go to the local shop and buy a roll of tinfoil! You can cover about 1/2 the grill with it, and you will suddenly get better temperatures.

You can also put something (cardboard with foil round/ hardboard etc) between the grill and the rad, just make sure you have some method of getting it out again!

I have the same problem. It's still too cold in the car even with the fresh air tube into the heater blanked off so it recirculates and the engine is noticeably less willing when it's near freezing outside. Do you have a temperature guage? I don't, so I haven't had the courage to remove the fan blades.

I've blocked off almost half the radiator with a piece of rubber matting between rad and grill as that's fairly unobtrusive. Basically anything thin and waterproof should do (so not just cardboard!). And keep an eye on the temperature guage if you're stuck in traffic and don't have a fan!

It's a gAUge! Fold some strong plastic sheeting over the grille bars - but a good deal of air also comes in from below the bumper through the slots in the lower part of the front panel. I used to run my Minor all year round without the fan - good deal quieter too !

I got a 92 deg stat from Brum Moggie Centre, and moved air intake up behind rad at top o/s corner. Lot better now.
Ian.

92 !!! Well done. And yes - heater intake pipe behind the top of the rad is exactly what I have - every little helps.

Yes it is a lot better. The heater now blows hot when the fan is switched on instead of lukewarm.
Ian.

wanderinstar wrote:I got a 92 deg stat from Brum Moggie Centre, and moved air intake up behind rad at top o/s corner. Lot better now.
Ian.

Hi

Have you got an email adress for that company ? Is it possible to shop at them over the net ?


Cheers
Merry christmas and a happy new Moggie year

See

http://www.morrisminor.co.uk/index.htm

Hej Carsten Betjent

Måske skulle du overveje om dit varmeappart er stoppet eller kalket til så der ikke er så meget gennemgang som der burde være.
Hvilken årgang er din bil ?? Er den med rundt varmeapp ??
Åbner varmehanen helt op ???? - Typisk fejl her.
Defekt termostat er også en mulighed.
Hvad med at bruge forum på Morris klubbens hjemmeside i DK ????
Regards
Svantemann

Right, if that is english, so am I

i have a radiator cover in my moggy for really cold weather. It must have been installed by the previous owner and is really cool. You simply pull a lever in the cabin, quite like a bonnet release lever, and the cover rolls down over the radiator. It does help too.
cheers, michael.

Sounds like the one Onne has - like the blinds used on some prewar machines.

Indeed it does. At least my sidevalve engine is nice and warm, since it sits in my house

But a radiator blind can hardly be described as 'cool' - surely quite the opposite ? And you can get a thermostat almost anywhere - no need to go to a Minor specialist. I hesitate to suggest Hellfrauds - but you never know !

True BMCecosse, it's a hot item on these cars, since they have no thermostat

I reckon that any retro feature done to improve a car is cool. Sure the radiator blind will be coming out when the new engine goes in but it is a valid period mod.
cheers, michael.

I reckon that any retro feature done to improve a car is cool.

I could not agree more

Hah - they're not going to have one!

Radiaor blinds are so easy to put on and take off that I'm doing that rather than playing around with a rather annoying thermostat housing!

Perhaps BMC, if you took all those spares you carry around with you out of the boot you'd have room for some tin-foil